Holden’s secret project.

MEET the top-secret show-stopper that started life in Holden’s Port Melbourne design studios in the middle of 2015. The eye-catching Opel GT Concept, which is shaping up to be one of the stars of the Geneva motor show (March 3-13), was designed in Europe but is a product of Holden’s secret fabrication group, one of only two in the General Motors world that can create one-off show stars. The radical two-door coupe sits on a unique rear-drive platform that gives it the driver-focused nous to take on the COTY-winning Mazda MX-5 and 2012 winners the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ twins. Described as a “template for future sports cars”, the GT Concept from GM’s European brands is targeted to weigh less than 1000kg. It’s built on a bespoke reardrive platform and uses GM’s new all-aluminium 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, producing 107kW and 205Nm. It drives through a sixspeed sequential gearbox and accelerates to 100km/h in “under eight seconds” on the way to a maximum of 215km/h. The unusual styling is described by GM Europe design chief Mark Adams as “purebred, pared down, yet unashamedly avant-garde”. “It is dramatic, sculptural and full of innovations, which is our great tradition that we intend to continue,” Adams said. “In the mid-60s Vauxhall and Opel created their own interpretations of a lightweight sports car - the XVR and the Experimental GT - both of which were thoroughly modern with dynamic sculptural form.” While a rear-drive platform under the concept would be crucial to the production GT’s ability to battle rivals like the Toyota 86 and Mazda MX-5, GM Europe sources say it’s unlikely, and that the Barina/Corsa FWD architecture makes more business sense. The company hopes to gather more market intelligence after the GT is unveiled at the Geneva show. One insider said the GT Concept shows the company’s direction: “Like the new (European) Astra, this car continues with the theme of making a car that is no bigger than it needs to be. One that is pared-down, light and no more complex than necessary.” As for a Holden version of the production car? It’s possible, especially if the GT gets the green light for sale in the UK. But the little concept car that Australia built still has a number of gates to clear before those negotiations can take place.

2017 SUZUKI GSX-R1000 CONCEPT.

Racers and sportbike riders have been waiting impatiently for several years now for an updated Suzuki literbike, but the end is in sight: At the EICMA show last November, the company finally unveiled a new GSX-R1000. But while the new bike was labeled as a 2017 model, it was also called a “concept,” indicating there may still be work to be completed before it reaches production. Suzuki says that the goal for the new bike was to create the “most powerful, hardest-accelerating, cleanest-running GSX-R ever built,” and the “lightest, most aerodynamic, and best-handling GSX-R1000 ever.” To that end, the bike benefits from lessons learned from the GSX-RR MotoGP project. Specifically, the GSX-R uses what Suzuki refers to as a “Broad Power System,” intended to maximize top-end power without sacrificing low-end and midrange torque via four new features: variable valve timing, valves operated by finger followers, top-feed fuel injectors, and dual SET valves in the exhaust headers. Suzuki’s Variable Valve Timing System utilizes a ball-and-groove arrangement on the intake camshaft, activated by centrifugal force stacking the balls in different grooves. As rpm increases, the intake cam is retarded, optimizing cam timing over the rpm range. The new valve train also uses a finger follower setup to improve valve control and reduce moving mass in the top end, allowing increased valve lift and higher peak rpm. The top-feed fuel injectors are located in the airbox (they were previously mounted in the throttle bodies) to better atomize the fuel for more top-end power, again without sacrificing low-rpm output. And the final part of the Broad Power System is Suzuki Exhaust Tuning-Alpha, which utilizes a butterfl y valve between the number one and four exhaust headers and another between the number two and three headers. The valves remain closed at lower rpm to enhance torque and open at higher rpm for more power. Another goal for the engine was to “optimize dimensions to enhance cornering performance” as well as make the chassis as compact as possible. The frame is all new and has revised geometry, though again no numbers were given. Suspension consists of a Showa Balance Free Fork and Balance Free Rear Cushion shock very similar to those used on the 2016 Kawasaki ZX-10R; the fork has external nitrogen-charged oil reservoirs and external damping circuits, and the shock is Showa’s latest iteration of the BFRC and is significantly lighter. Other chassis updates include high-volume intake ducts, a lower top and sleeker design for the fuel tank, and more aerodynamic bodywork. Even the fairing mounting bolts have been redesigned, with a new fl at-top shape to reduce air resistance, with other mounting hardware recessed to prevent turbulence. No mention was made of the new GSX-R’s brakes aside from the use of electronic ABS, but the calipers are very similar to the previous model’s Brembo four-pot monoblock units. The rotors, however, appear to be a variant of Brembo’s T-drive discs, with half the traditional buttons replaced by T-shaped pins. According to Brembo, the assembly system transfers braking force more effectively, is lighter, and has greater resistance to thermo-mechanical stress. A single-valve ride-by-wire throttle assembly replaces the old model’s dual-valve setup, and the electronics package now features a 10-level traction control system, three power modes, a quickshifter that works on upshifts as well as downshifts, and launch control. The press material contains no mention of an IMU as part of the electronics package; in this regard the GSX-R may be a step behind the YZF-R1 and new ZX-10R, but this is one aspect that could very well change before the bike reaches production. No word was given on price or availability for the new model, but with race teams the world over clamoring for the updated platform, it’s a safe bet the new bike will be a very-early-release 2017 model.

2016 KTM 690 Duke.

Just in case the last version didn’t already put your motorcycle license at risk, KTM has updated its ever-entertaining 690 Duke with a smoother, more powerful engine and updated electronics package that includes a supermoto mode, as well as traction control (optional) and riding modes. The single-cylinder engine gets the most important updates and now features a larger bore and shorter stroke. This, in conjunction with a new cylinder head and second balancer shaft, combines to give the engine not only 7 percent more horsepower and 6 percent more torque but also make it less prone to vibration when running down the highway. Throw in a more comfortable two-piece seat, updated triple clamps with revised offset for better handling, and new TFT display, and you have a bike that could give the other middleweight naked bikes a run for their money.